This and that

Well the year has been whizzing by. I find myself short of time to do all the things I want or need to do. So, there's not much time for blogging. But I've decided I'll blog at least once a month, so here goes.

Restaurants

New Restaurants tried include The Union Bar and Grill (below the Hilton Residence), The Lagoon, at Cinnamon Grand and Ginza Hohsen,a Japanese restaurant located in the Hilton Hotel.

Ginza Hohsen: Not being a great fan of Japanese food, I was blown away by how good everything was at Ginza Hohsen. The set up was lovely, typical Japanese with a lovely view of the Japanese garden outside. One can watch the cooks in action, something I always enjoy. The food was wholesome, large portions and delicious. I'd love to go back even though it's pricey. Meal for 2.5 persons with just mineral water and no dessert went over Rs 5000.

The Union Bar and Grill: Overall, disappointing, though the prices are a nice range from reasonable to high. Didn't like the quality of cheese they used in their dishes . Service was good though.

The Lagoon: A nice seafood restaurant. You can order fresh fish and decide how you want it cooked. Watching the cooks in action adds to the ambience of the place. Pricey, but overall, worth it.

Restaurant Review: Regina Margarita

Regina Margarita, from outer appearances doesn't scream out Come Eat Here! It's only because I had read rather good reviews about it that we decided to venture all the way to Park Road to try out the place.

Well, the tables were all covered in checkered tablecloths in typical Italian style. The size of the tables turned out to be a bit of a problem later though as the waiters struggled to fit the dishes we ordered on the table. The menu took us by surprise. We were a bit taken aback by the prices. Practically nothing below Rs 900.

The complimentary bread at the beginning was just ordinary. So was the chilli oil on the table. We were expecting plain olive oil and butter.

Among the things we ordered was a pizza marinara without any cheese. The pizza was good, made right in front of our eyes, which was interesting to watch. We also ordered a fettucine with chicken mince and a spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil. Both were rather mediocre, the pasta seemed a bit overdone and didn't blow anyone away.

There was a lady walking around talking to the customers who we assumed was the proprietor. The personal touch was nice, though I was glad we had ordered before she came, as I don't like anyone giving me opinions on my order unless I ask for it.

We could hear someone on another table whispering about the cook having changed. Maybe this was the reason we failed to be impressed despite the wonderful review we had read. Though we may go back to grab some take away pizza.

Restaurants in Colombo 2: The Dining Room

The Dining Room

Located in the lobby of Cinnamon Lakeside, The Dining Room offers the best lunch buffet in town in my opinion and also the best value for money. The ambience is extremely family friendly and kids under 5 dine for free. The sea food is to die for, there's sea food ceviche, sushi, and shrimps galore! Lots of cold meats, Indian, Thai and continental food on offer. The choice of desserts will have your head spinning, and you will have a hard time lifting yourself up from your chair when it's time to leave! During Ramadan, they also had iftar buffets which were amazing.

Restaurants in Colombo

We dine out here a lot and so I have decided to briefly review my experiences. Should have been doing this as they happened but better late than never eh? In this post I will review 3 restaurants. Limiting it to 3 per post as otherwise I will never finish the piece. Future posts will cover more restaurants.

Taprobane

Located in Cinnamon Grand Hotel, it is the best value for money eating place in Colombo in my opinion. You get 5 star ambience at unbelievably affordable prices. The food is mainly continental. Though the odd biryani does feature on the menu. There is a kid's menu too. Love the grilled fish in a herb/garlic saucewith rice and veg and also the spaghetti bolognese. All the kid's menu items are good too. My personal fave dessert item is the creme brulee which comes in two small glasses which is perfect for sharing. The service tends to be a bit slow at peak times though as they have a bustling crowd for the buffet to cope with as well.

Cricket Club Cafe

Even if you don't have a thing for cricket like me, this place is still worth a visit. The decor is interesting and a cricket lover's dream with signed memorabilia on display. The service is fast, though decidedly unfriendly. The prices are affordable and the dessert items are tasty. Personal favourite is the Mexican Chicken wrap. Also the mango crepes served with ice cream and garnished with coconut flakes was good (though the crepes were a tad on the hard side). Daughter loves their spaghetti bolognese. Prices are very affordable and the atmosphere is child friendly. Decor is a bit worn out though.

The Gallery Cafe

We dined here on our anniversary and it was worth it. The ambience is great, the place is packed, the decor classy. However the seats were not the most comfortable, I must say. The food made up for it. I had a champagne risotto. Daughter had a gnochhi dish. Forget what hubby had. The dessert was excellent. Here's a link to their site. http://www.paradiseroadsl.com/cafe/Introduction.html

The Gallery Cafe is situated right beside the Paradise Road Studio, a shop reminiscent of Zara Home which I just love. Both the shop and the restaurant are a bit on the pricey side.